Case study:

11 May 2010

Improving end of life care in Methodist Home Association Care Group - The final lap

Key points

Staff at Methodist Home Association (MHA) Care Group homes has introduced a number of changes aimed at humanising the process of death and dying following a series of ‘Final Lap’ training days.

These include – depending on the residents’ choice – having flowers and music during the final days as well as making the room welcoming for relatives after death.

Residents are also encouraged to talk about death and discuss how they would like to spend their last days.

In addition MHA has reviewed its policy regarding a death during the night. In most circumstances it is unnecessary to call out an undertaker and remove the deceased there and then.

Instead these arrangements are now left until the morning, allowing staff and residents to pay their last respects.

More of those who die are now taken out in a coffin rather than a body bag.

Thanksgiving services in the home are more common and many homes have introduced funeral teas and some encourage residents to raise a toast to the deceased resident after the funeral service.

Residents are also remembered through memory books of poem and photos, their names are mentioned at the next service in the home and memorial gardens have been created, and trees planted, to commemorate those who died.

Some homes also send bereavement cards to families.

A total of 240 staff have now taken part in the initial training.